Looping attachment for circular-knitting machines



No Model.) I I. G. REHM.

LOOPING ATTAGHNIENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 536,461.Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

o wAsmNuYoN. o. c.

THE NORRIS PETERS 00.. more um CNITED STATES- FREDERICK C. REI-IM, OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHICAGOHOSIERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

LOOPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,461, dated March12, 1895.

Application filed May 15, 1898. Serial No. 474,196. (No model.)

To aZZ whom itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. RnHM, a citizen of the United States,residing in Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Looping Attachments forCircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an attachment for ordinary knitting machineswhereby to efiect the formation of loops upon the interior surface ofthe fabric knitted in the knitting machine.

The invention is designed to obviate some serious objections pertainingto the devices heretofore used for the same purpose.

One main object had in view in this invention is the avoidance of anyconstruction whereby the space inside of the knitter is obstructed so asto render the fabric invisible to the operator. This is especiallyimportant because with those machines in which the looping devices areplaced inside of the knitter the fabric is wholly hidden from view andthe operator cannot know whether the machine is working perfectly untilthe fabric is completed and taken out of the machine, and it then is toolate to remedy the defect if any existed. I overcome this objection by aconstruction which enables the operator to watch-the operation of themachine as it proceeds so that she is enabled to stop the machineinstantly if loops are being dropped or other imperfections exist in theworking of the machine. In this improved construction I place thelooping devices and their operating mechanism entirely outside theneedles so that the hollow or interior of the knitter is occupied onlyby the fabric being formed.

The nature of the invention will be fully understood from thedescription hereinafter given and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings I show at Figure 1 a central vertical section of aknitting machine to which my attachment has been applied. Fig. 2 is abottom view of the cam plate which is used to move the yarn supportingdevices whereby the loops are formed. Fig. 3 is a partial verticalsection enlarged showing one of the yarn lifters in elevation. Fig. 4 isa which rotates.

are supported in a stationary cylinder and r are operated by an exteriorcam cylinder The invention is however ap' plicable with very slightchanges to that class of knitters wherein the needle cylinder to tatesand the cam cylinder is stationary.

In the machine illustrated A represents the needle cylind or; B, theneedles; C, the rotating cam cylinder whereby the needles are lifted anddepressed, and D is the yarn guidesecured in the machine shown to thecam cylinder in the usual manner. The guide has an upper opening (1 forthe upper yarn a: and

a lower opening d for. the lower yarn y.

The looping devices consist of the yarn lifting pointsE havinghorizontal extensions e and heels e and they are placed in radial slotsf formed in the outstanding flange F attached to the needle cylinder,with freedom to slide in and out in said slots. These yarn supportingpoints or lifters are employed in such number as may be desired and oneof them may be placed so as to operate between each adjacent pair ofneedles; or they may be placed between each second and third needle andso on, according to the number of loops desired; or they may be placedin groups so that portions only of the fabric will be provided with theloops. They are moved inward and under one of the yarns at properintervals by any suitable mechanism and preferably by a revolving camring G placed above the series about one half of its circumference, andthis portion is provided with an exterior downwardly depending flange gand an interior depending flange or semicircular piece g, a groove mbeing formed between 9 and g adapted to receive the heels of the yarnlifters. Secured to the under surface of the ring and between theextremities of the piece g are a number of cams g g g 9 the ends ofwhich are preferably rounded so they may act upon the heels of the yarnlifters and gradually force them into their proper positions. These camsco-operate with the inner edge 9 of the ring in giving the necessarymovements to the lifters and the concentric groove m merely holds thelifters stationary during the intervals between these operations. Theouter edges of the cams g g are adapted to force the lifters outwardfrom the positions occupied by them during non-action, so as to give aclearance for the passage of the yarn guide, the lower point (1 of whichtraverses a plane below the top of the lifters. Immediately after thishas been done the inner edge 9 of the cam g acts against the acting orupright portion of the lifters and carries them inward, forcing thepoints of the lifters between the yarns and into position where theywill sustain the yarn during the descent of the needles, as plainlyindicated at Fig. 5. The yarn lifters remain in this position until theneedles have completed their downward movement, so that a loop is formedin the upper yarn as indicated at the right of Fig. 5. The continuedmovement of the ring brings the cams g g into action and they draw thelifters outward thereby insuring the casting off the loop and bringingthe heels of the lifters into position for re-entrance into the groovem. The lifters are not of course forced inward until after the passageof the yarn guide.

I prefer that the cams g g g and g be made in short pieces asillustrated and that they be adjustably secured to the ring. Thisadjustability need be but slight and is adequately provided for byenlarging the openings '5 in the cam ring through which to pass theattaching screws I whereby the cam pieces are secured to the ring. Thepiece 9 is merely a filling piece and is employed simply as a safe guardagainst any getting out of position by the lifters.

so that no objectionable gap will exist between them.

I have shown upon the cam ring two projections H and set screws h foroperating the ring. This is done in order that the direction of rotationof the ring maybe reversed whenever necessary, as is customary inknitting some portions of stockings for instance. Of course it isessential also that the cams g g should be the exact reverse of g g intheir action, so that each pair may secure the proper positioning of thelifters. The set screws 71.

enable the operator to properly time the move- I ments of the yarnlifters relative to that of the yarn guide.

I mount one of the yarn bobbins over the 'bin may be stationarilylocated.

It may however be dispensed with and the cams be brought closer togetheraxis of the cylinders as indicated in the drawings by the broken lines,while the other bob- In order to support this axial bobbin or spool Iprovide a frame work J J connected by a cross bar K and secure it to therotating cam cylinder. The bracej may have openings as shown for theguidance of the yarn. Another yarn guide L may be placed on top of themoving frame work.

vM is the usual upright standard placed at the side of the machine andsupporting yarn guide and take up devices such as are commonly used inmachines of this class, which are indicatedat N.

In the operation of the machine the yarn guide D travels with the camcylinder and the yarn lifters are withdrawn one after another as theguide approaches them and areimmediately moved in as soon as the guideshas passed them, so that their points enter between the two strands ofyarn and the upper strand will be held up by them during the descent ofthe needles and a loop be thus formed in that strand. The lifters arenext withdrawn and the loops cast 0%. This operation is repeated ofcourse at each revolution of the cam ring and yarn guide.

I claim- 1. A knitter provided with looping devices located outside ofthe needles and means for actuating said looping devices also locatedoutside of the needles, whereby the central opening of the machineremains uncovered and unobstructed, and the operatoris enabled to Watchthe work as it proceeds, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a knitting machine of a series of radiallymoving yarn lifters located outside of the needles and means for movingsuch lifters into and out of action, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with aknitting machine having a needle cylinder and acam cylinder for operating the needles, of a series of radially movableyarn lifters located outside of the needle cylinder, and means formoving said lifters into and out of acting position, such actuatingmeans being also located outside of the needle cylinder, substantiallyas specified.

4:. The knitter havinga stationary needle cylinder, a rotating camcylinder and a yarn guide secured to the cam cylinder,'in combinationwith radially moving yarn lifters supported from the needle cylinder,and a cam ring rotated by the yarn guide and acting to move saidlifters, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the needle cylinder having the slotted outwardlyprojecting flange, the rotating cam cylinder, the yarn guide moving withthe latter cylinder, the radially moving yarn lifters located in theslots of the needle cylinder flange, and the cam ring rotated, bycontact with the yarn guide and serving to move said lifters,substantially as specified.

6. The combinationwith the yarn guide, the and the cam ring adapted toretract the liftradially movable yarn lifters and'a support ers to giveclearance to the guide, substan- 15 for said lifterslocated outside ofthe needles, tially as specified. of the cam ring having projections H Hand ad- 5 justable contacts h, substantiallyas specified. FREDERICKREHM' 7. The combination of the moving yarn In presence of- 7 guide, theseries of yarn lifters, the support JOHN A. MACDONALD, for said lifterslocated outside of the needles, BENJAMIN SHELMIRE.

